


Rewritten

by Settledvagabond



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 06:23:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8317243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settledvagabond/pseuds/Settledvagabond
Summary: For @darthraydor, whose manips are the only thing that will get me to write OutlawQueen.





	

The smell of fall had always been a comfort to Regina - the coming of winter meant wrapping up in more, protective layers, fewer and fewer reasons to dress herself up and parade herself around with Leopold like a trophy. Her fingers caressed the edges of a leaf artfully arranged on the dining room table, with its pumpkins and gourds, fall paraphernalia of this world. Flashes of the Enchanted Forest and its customs blink in and out of her mind's eye, all of them stained with the lurking presence of someone - her mother, the king, Rumple... The memories creep in under the scent of baking apple pie, like putrid poison lurking under the sugar sweetness. Her fingers gripped tightly in her palms, her freshly painted blood-red nails cutting deep into the padded flesh till it nearly broke through. Her breathing halted, her vision blurring.

"Wugina?"

Regina's head jerked and the memory of torture dressed as a party dispelled like smoke, leaving her disoriented. She blinked hard, searching the room for signs of familiarity.

"... 'agina?"

Her dark eyes turned down as a soft little hand found its way into hers, soothing the pinched skin. She shifted uncomfortably in her boots, a wave of nausea barely passing. Roland's soft, sweet eyes peered up at her, a child's awareness and confusion staring up at her. The green point of his dinosaur costume's hood fell back and away from his amber brown curls and Regina melted back to the present.

"Are you ready to trick-or-treat dear?" She asked, cupping his cheek. His face lit up with joy, concern fleeing like a flock of disturbed birds. He nodded vigorously. "Alright." Her smile is tight but genuine.

"Everyone ready?"

Regina's expression softens and opens before she even sees him, and an earnest smile opens her lips to expose her. She bites back on the joy - an old habit. She chews on her tongue, sheepish, still. Robin's brow furrows and he turns his head as though he heard something strange. Regina swallows nervously - part of her loves that he can see and sense every change in her mood like changes in temperature. The other part hates that she feels so naked, nowhere and no way to hide. He proceeds gently into the room, offering his free arm to put behind Regina's back softly, the other holding a plastic pumpkin basket for Roland.

"Everything okay here?" he asks carefully. Regina smiles and nods, and it is forced, but he knows better than to ask about it in front Roland. Regina is notoriously and oddly protective of Roland and Robin doesn't question it - there are a lot of things he doesn't attempt to root out with Regina, nor would he want to; enough people had pulled things from her, and he wouldn't be another one. Anything she gave, she gave him willingly and without being asked. Even his taking would be a gift to her.

He kissed her cheek and smiled back, and in it said so much more than words could. "Later", and "there's time", "when you're ready". Regina's eyes well up. To have someone just do nothing was more than she could ask for - it was as much what he didn't do as what he did that made her feel so loved.

His arms wrapped fully around her, one hand grabbing Roland's easily. Roland cupped himself around Regina's leg. He pulled her in a little bit closer for a second, his heartbeat quiet and true in the silence. She breathed in the scent of him, so familiar and so warm, and the cry choked on its way out, but he felt it shake her.

Robin pulled back, smile kind, eyes bright, as if he could feel and see what she was thinking.

"C'mon Regina. Let's go build some new memories."

Regina's breath caught, her brow furrowing for a single blessed moment till she controlled herself. Robin leaned in close, his breath soft on her face.

"Who knows, maybe the adults will get some treats later too."

He grinned suggestively and Regina laughed - an initial burst rushing through like the sweet bite of a berry, sinking into the deep and warm fullness of warm fire. Regina pulled him in tightly.

"Oh you only earn a treat if you can do a trick," she countered, raising an eyebrow. 

"Is that so?"

"Das what they told me," Roland interjected, authoritatively. "At schoowul."

Regina and Robin looked down at him, smirks controlled but barely. Regina inclined her head towards the door as if to say, "now, before we get any further along".

"All right then," Robin conceded. "Lets go pick up a few treats... while daddy thinks up a few tricks for Regina."

Regina's crimson mouth popped open and just as quickly shut as Robin guided her towards the door. She swatted his arm.

"New memories indeed," she muttered. 

Robin stopped, taking her face in both hands for a moment. He kissed her, slowly, but with promise - of so much more, not just this day, but of a life, of a million moments like this, and suddenly the smell of pumpkin and apple turned Regina's stomach in an entirely different and welcome way.

They pulled apart like clouds drifting, neither initiating but both somehow floating away. Robin watched her expression, pleased to find it eased. He smiled and chuckled softly. He took her hand softly in his, taking Roland with the other. He made a deep, pleased sound from in his chest, so to nearly sound like his heart had agreed. He brushed his scruffy cheek against Regina's with a whisper.

"New memories indeed."


End file.
